Trade Bill Goes to Conference,
But Future Remains Cloudy

WASHINGTON -- The House decided by a single vote to start final talks with the Senate on granting the White House the authority to negotiate large trade pacts with minimal interference from Congress.

The House-Senate talks are expected to begin in July but aren't likely to conclude until the fall. The Senate bill, which passed with the backing of Democrats and the Bush administration, contains a large range of assistance programs for workers who lose their jobs to trade competition -- something many House Republicans oppose.